Beent mcm



(No Model.) B. MolvL REED.

HBNS NBST.

WITNESSESI INVENTOR i M BY CAQ/faam ATTORNEY,

UNITED STATES- ATENT Orrlcn.Y

BRENT MOM. REED, OF yARLINGTON, MARYLAND.

H ENS N EST.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 348,054, dated August 24, 1886.

Application filed June 12, 1886. Serial No. 204,925. (No model.)

To all whoml it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BRENT MCM. REED, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Arlington, in the county of Baltimore 'and State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Hens Nests,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved hens nest and door for same g and it consists of the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a verti cal longitudinal section of the nest. Fig. 2 is a partly side and partly sectional view of the front end of the nest. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear end. Fig. 4 is a view of the stationary platform removed. Fig.5 is a view of the nest-box removed.

The letter A designates the lower portion of the walls of a box of rectangular shape. The rear wall, Z), of the box may be made solid, like the lower portion, but I prefer to make the side walls, c, of woven Wire, or some suitable grated or slatted work to give thorough ventilation to the nest. The top eZ is solid,like thelower portion, A, of the walls. Provision is made by the door e for closing the entrance or front end, e.

One of the objects which I have in view by the construction here shown is to provide for readily removing the nest-box, door, and operative parts, in order that they and the box may be thoroughly cleaned. Y

The nestbox F has. at one end two rigid iingers,g, each of which project ,through a slot, h, in the rear wall and rest on a metal bearing, h,extending across the slot. Thus the rear end of the nest-box is pivoted, aifording to the' front end an np-anddown movement. The front end of the nest-box has a rigid arm, i, which is attached to the bottom and projects horizontally toward the entrance. Adjoining the nest-box is a stationary platform, J ,which is above and covers the rigid arm Z of the nest-box. Vhen in its position,this platform is stationary,resting on the cleats Zc,but it may be lifted therefrom and entirelyv removed. The door elias pivots or journals Z, which rest in open bearings mseated on the lower portion of the walls A of the bornand on a plane level with the stationary platform J. Thus pivoted the door may lie horizontally, as shown in Fig. l, or may be raised to an upright position, and thereby close the entrance, as shown in Fig.2. lVhen thus raised, the'door stands inclined outward-that is,the top or free end, Z', stands out beyond the base or pivoted end Z, and thereby the weight of the door has a constant tendency to throw it down and leave the entrance e open. The door has at its pivoted end a rigid arm, o, and a link, p, con,- nects this arm o with the arm i on the nestbox. Both of these arms have several holes q, in one of which the link p engages. By having several holes the link may be set or adjusted in that one which will effect the best balance between the nestbox and pivoted door. The link p should so adjust or balance these parts that normally the door will'lie down, as in Fig 1, and thus keep the frontend of the nest-box raised. In this position of the parts the door c, platform J, and top of the nest-boX F are on a level, or substantially on the same horizontal plane.

AThe hen will enter (see Fig. l) by walking along the door e, and thence upon the stationary platform J, and she will step from the platform into the nest-box F. The weight of the hen upon the nest-box will depress its front end, and the arm t' and link p will draw down on the door-arm o and raise the door upright, thereby closing the entrance e. The hen is thus guarded from intrusion or attack. When the hen desires to come out of the nest, she steps therefrom onto the platform J whereupon the doors gravity will cause it to drop and open the entrance, and the hen inV departing can walk on the door. It will thus be seen the stationary platform J between the door and nest-box is an important element of the combination. r

By the described construction the platform J may be removed, the door e lifted from its open bearings mand the nest-box F removed, when each part may be cleanedthese parts out of the box A b c. The latter may also be cleaned.

A door, r, is in the rear wall, b, and gives access to the nest-box for the purpose of placing in or removing eggs.

Having described my invention, I claim and I OO 1o plane level with the said stationary platform,

Vand provided with an arm, o, and a link, p,

Wholl y below the platform connecting the nestarm and door-ar1n, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' BRENT MCM. REED.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, JNO. T. MA DDOX. 

